Watch: Kamaru Usman practices foot stomps in latest training video ahead of potential Jorge Masvidal rematch
Just two weeks after UFC 258 wrapped up, Kamaru Usman is back at the gym training for his next opponent. The Nigerian Nightmare took to Twitter to share a video of his footwork drill for his next matchup.
Kamaru Usman is known for utilizing his wrestling credentials to impose his will on opponents. But lately, Usman has incorporated striking in a big way in his arsenal. His standup skillset was on full display at UFC 245 when he went toe to toe against Colby Covington. In his last fight too, the Nebraska native sat down and eventually finished Gilbert Burns by being the better striker.
However, at UFC 251, Kamaru Usman relied heavily on his grappling to defend the title against Jorge Masvidal. Usman pressed Gamebred up against the octagon fence and foot-stomped the Miami native multiple times. He also received widespread criticism for his approach.
Judging by his recent video, however, it appears that Kamaru Usman ready to do it all over again for the speculated Jorge Masvidal rematch.
Kamaru Usman won the initial meeting against Jorge Masvidal at UFC 251. Masvidal's short notice appointment (six days' notice) has been cited by his First Round Management team as the reason why Gamebred lost to Usman. This and the claim that Masvidal broke Usman's nose at UFC 251, seems to have agitated the champion.
In the post-fight interview at UFC 258, Kamaru Usman called-out Jorge Masvidal for a rematch. The champion wants to put an exclamation on his rivalry with Gamebred.
Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal to coach The Ultimate Fighter?
The next season of TUF (The Ultimate fighter) is set to be shot this year. This will be the 29th season of the reality show and the promotion is looking to appoint coaches for the two rival teams.
Earlier this month, Kamaru Usman's manager Ali Abdelaziz revealed that his management team is in talks with the UFC. Abdelaziz wants Kamaru Usman to feature against Jorge Masvidal as a rival coach at TUF 29. Earlier this week, Ariel Helwani mentioned on his show (DC & Helwani) that the bout is nearing fruition.
Jorge Masvidal rose to super stardom after his 5-second knockout victory over Ben Askren (UFC 239) which was followed by the brutal beatdown of Nate Diaz at UFC 244. Kamaru Usman on the other hand, has been a dominant welterweight champion and is undefeated in the UFC. The Ultimate Fighter will certainly make for a great build-up for the rematch between the two rival welterweights.